I didn't get to Meijer until today, just in time to grab a handful of this week's deals before the ad change. For the record, this one Meijer mealbox (store) coupon per transaction thing is beginning to annoy me. Take heed, corporate, if you're still reading (they used to show up in my stat counter's IP log all the time). The average family probably needs more than one of any given item. My family of 5, and those with even larger families may well be inclined to switch to a store with price matching and less ridiculous transaction limits. /rant, and on to the deals ...
1st
5 Suave deodorant:on sale for $1.79 - 5th item free promo - 75c/1 coupons = 41c for all 5!
4 Starkist tuna packets: 25% off = $1.43/ea. - $1/4 mealbox - $1/2 manufacturer = 68c/ea.
4 Swanson's chicken/beef stock: on sale 3/$2 - $1/4 mealbox - 40c/1 manufacturer = 32c/ea.
2 French's mustard: on sale for $1 - 50c/1 manufacturer coupons = 50c/ea - $1 catalina generated by buying 2 = FREE!
5 Kraft salad dressings: on sale for $1.67 - $1.50/1 manufacturer coupons = 17c/ea + $1 worth of FREE produce with each bottle from a tearpad coupon.
1 McCormick seasoning grinder: on sale for $1.67 - $1/1 mealbox - $1/1 manufacturer = 33c MONEY-MAKER!
2 Ziplock Containers: on sale 2/$4 - $1/2 mealbox - $1/1 manufacturer peelies = 50c/ea!
4 Swiffer refill items: on sale 25% off for a total of $22.98 - $10 rebate I'm about to mail in for buying $20 worth = $12.98 (not wonderful, but we have been out for a looooong time).
Total SPENT: $34.94
Total SAVED: $38.17
2nd
4 Starkist pouches
4 Swanson broths
1 McCormick grinder
2 Ziplock containers
5 Suave deodorants
Total SPENT: $9.74
Total SAVED: $19.15
3rd
4 Starkist pouches
4 Swanson broths
1 McCormick grinder
2 Ziplock containers
Total SPENT: $5.84
Total SAVED: $12.61
4th
4 Starkist pouches
1 McCormick grinder
Total SPENT: $3.39
Total SAVED: $6.16
------------------------------
TOTAL SPENT: $53.91
TOTAL SAVED: $83.86 ... 62%!
Hooray deals! I could have made it $5 sweeter if the transaction limits didn't exist for the mealbox coupons because I have this $5/$60 cat that I've been carrying around forever hoping I can get my total over $60 so I can use the darn thing. So far, no luck. It expires the day after tomorrow ... eek.
How did you do this week? Any great deals?
Simply,
Em.
11 April 2009
07 April 2009
Gratituesday: Lessons Learned
So, I hear the economy isn't looking so hot these days. This isn't news in Michigan ... at all. We've been enjoying the lovely recession-esque times for quite awhile. Years, I think. Tight financial times mean two things: belt-tightening and re-evaluation of priorities (hopefully) and personal financial crisis (hopefully not). You could likely ask just about any random person the street about someone they know and their financial meltdowns and get story after story about foreclosures, job losses, judgements, homelessness, hunger, and the like. None of that am I grateful for.
Some people very close to me, whom I will not indicate my relationship to as there are people who know the real life me who are likely reading, are having a rough go of it. They're overextended in credit. They have a vehicle with financing they cannot afford. They recently suffered a temporary job set back dropping their income to one instead of a much more comfortable two. They are spending more than they can really afford to, and are now scrambling to switch things up to make ends meet in the short term. In an economy where this same scenario is being played out nationwide, they are not unique or alone. That makes my heart sad.
We, Be and I, could just as easily been in the exact same place. We have one income (half an income?). We have a very tight financial situation ... and credit card debt ... and more month than money sometimes. The thing that keeps us from that same desperate, terrible feeling crisis mode is that we simply recognized the need to change earlier ... in a better economy ... when our backs weren't as tightly to the wall. We were lucky enough to get an eye opening lesson in budgeting, stewardship, the evils of credit debt, and necessary frugality before we had to crash course through it to save our skins. We were close ... precariously close ... but we came out alright. For that, I am grateful.
We didn't get here alone. We aren't that cool. We didn't even have the wherewithal or foresight or self-awareness to know we needed change until the last second, and we surely didn't think up the way we do things these days ... the methods that saved us from absolute financial ruin. For those involved in that process, who pulled us away from the edge, who made it possible that we can have the skills necessary to ride out a recession (hopefully), I am grateful.
For Dave Ramsey's straight talk about zero based budgeting and the slavery that is credit card debt, I am grateful.
For baby steps and an emergency fund (albeit small) that has saved us when Be needed prescriptions, the propane man came unexpectedly to refill the tank, my car tried to fall apart, and the security of knowing that any of them could happen again without me having a panicked hissy fit, I am grateful.
For the ladies of the budget board I used to co-host that taught me everything I know about stretching budgets, dealing with creditors, the legality of some financial institution practices, the necessity of miscellaneous categories, and the envelope system, I am grateful.
For my collected group of online friends, the source of my couponing initiation, the support system that applauds you for saving $4 extra this month and cares about how much change you pulled out of your couch, I am grateful.
For sweet personal finance bloggers who regularly teach me via my Google Reader about retirement and investing and all kinds of assorted frugal hacks, I am grateful.
For the crisis that led us to rethink the way we did things, the near rock bottom that we had to hit to get there, and yes, even the tears involved, I am grateful, for I know now that the hard part is over quickly and the rest ... when you know how to manage it ... is smooth sailing.
Simply,
Em.
For more grateful goodness, check out the Heavenly Homemaker!
Menu ... Tuesday? Again?!
Menu Tuesday does not have the ring Menu Monday does. We are still working with my father's restrictive menu options, so although we for sure have a menu, I can't seem to get the darn thing online in time (also, ps, it's the week before finals ... ugh). Off the top of my head, I remember this much ...
M: Chicken Stir Fry
T: Hamburger Stew
W: Pork Chops and Potatoes
R: Chicken Something
F: Fish and Baked Fries
S: Leftovers?
Su: Open ... because I don't know what our holiday plans are just yet.
There's a much more detailed version sitting on my counter ... in the kitchen ... across the house from where my office is ... and darn it if I'm not just far too lazy to go get it tonight (did I mention the finals ...? grrr). I hope you have your menus planned, loves. They're lifesavers for sure. Tonight, when I needed to spend the afternoon/evening working on my 20 page paper for Thursday after a morning/afternoon of 'daddy duty' all I had to do is point Be in the direction of the menu and leave him to it. We didn't starve. I didn't have to run around like a mad woman. Everyone wins.
To see more menus ... real ones ... with more details than my sketchy memory can give you tonight ... check out Org. Junkie.
Simply,
Em.
05 April 2009
A Frugal Girl's Dilemma
We are a generally broke people, Be and I. We're down to 1/2 an income since he's still battling the work comp people (almost 2 years) and my coaching job takes a hiatus over the spring and summer. Darn those kids and their not wanting to go to school all year so I can get paid! Ha. Really, though, we don't mind our necessitated thrift all that much. We like being good stewards, paying down the debt from when we weren't so great at that, and trying out creative ways to stretch our tiny budget all over the place. My dilemma today, though, is when is it ok to stop being practical for a hot second and splurge?
My knee jerk reaction, after years of penny pinching and general miserly-ness is to say "Never!". Living a super thrifty lifestyle changes you over time, I think. Most things are no longer necessities, but luxuries cut out to make the zero based budget balance. Every extra penny goes to debt payments, and every money related thought is about how to better utilize current resources for even greater needs. Many, especially in our spendthrift populous, would think us thrifty folk nutjobs. We hear our friends, family, finance experts, and people on the street tell us all about how we just have to have discretionary cash to spend as we please without recourse or we will surely go insane and spontaneously combust. Yet, there are many of us, the frugal underground, who have not turned to self-immolation (and shhhhh, but we're happy about it). I have been one of the few, the proud, the unquestioning frugal for years and years ... until possibly, today.
The backstory here is that we have rewards checking accounts through our bank. They're free, and we signed up for the points rewards program when they started offering it to people who already had accounts instead of only new openers a couple years ago. Then, of course, we forgot about it. All this while the bank has been keeping track of the transactions we've made, and has added points (2/$1 plus bonuses for savings account transfers, opening new accounts, direct deposit, and EFTs) accordingly. I remembered this ... today, and logged in to see where I stood as far as points totals and reward costs were concerned.
Ooooooh, boy!
It's apparently good to forget about your rewards account for ... um ... years. I have something over 35,000 points! Immediately, of course, I called Be to make him log into his account and check his balance ... a whopping 33,000! Each of us is sitting on roughly $75 worth of redeemable value whether we choose giftcards, cash, or something from the prize (read: lame) catalog (who needs another umbrella, anyway?). As I skimmed the pages of available gifts, my pulse quickened when I saw that Barnes and Noble giftcards were on the list.
Ok, I confess ... I am a book-a-holic. A bibliophile who agreed at the beginning of this journey toward good stewardship to use the library instead, making a rule that I couldn't spend any money on books until well after we were debt free. As our budget is often precariously arranged, this rule has not been a problem. I don't have credit I can use anymore, so no money = no risk of spending it on books.
Faced with the choice between cashing in my points for more practical giftcards like those for the gas station and CVS or the entirely splurge-tastic (new word! ha) B&N, I am paralyzed. On the one hand, I should be a good steward. I should be practical, always. I should do the right thing and add to my family's budget with a smile on my face. On the other hand, it's free money ... money we would not have otherwise had anyway ... and money I would absolutely looooooooove to spend on books. Oh, my dear frugal friends, what is a girl to do? Be, with his cool exterior told me to do whatever I wanted to do. Ugh. That means nothing when you have a competition going on between wants and probably shoulds.
So, my lovely readers, I'm taking suggestions. What would you do if you could choose a $75 gift card? Would you splurge? Would you be ascetic about it? Would you have to write blog posts about it, and hope the comments helped you decide? Help a girl out here, pretty please?
Simply,
Em.
My knee jerk reaction, after years of penny pinching and general miserly-ness is to say "Never!". Living a super thrifty lifestyle changes you over time, I think. Most things are no longer necessities, but luxuries cut out to make the zero based budget balance. Every extra penny goes to debt payments, and every money related thought is about how to better utilize current resources for even greater needs. Many, especially in our spendthrift populous, would think us thrifty folk nutjobs. We hear our friends, family, finance experts, and people on the street tell us all about how we just have to have discretionary cash to spend as we please without recourse or we will surely go insane and spontaneously combust. Yet, there are many of us, the frugal underground, who have not turned to self-immolation (and shhhhh, but we're happy about it). I have been one of the few, the proud, the unquestioning frugal for years and years ... until possibly, today.
The backstory here is that we have rewards checking accounts through our bank. They're free, and we signed up for the points rewards program when they started offering it to people who already had accounts instead of only new openers a couple years ago. Then, of course, we forgot about it. All this while the bank has been keeping track of the transactions we've made, and has added points (2/$1 plus bonuses for savings account transfers, opening new accounts, direct deposit, and EFTs) accordingly. I remembered this ... today, and logged in to see where I stood as far as points totals and reward costs were concerned.
Ooooooh, boy!
It's apparently good to forget about your rewards account for ... um ... years. I have something over 35,000 points! Immediately, of course, I called Be to make him log into his account and check his balance ... a whopping 33,000! Each of us is sitting on roughly $75 worth of redeemable value whether we choose giftcards, cash, or something from the prize (read: lame) catalog (who needs another umbrella, anyway?). As I skimmed the pages of available gifts, my pulse quickened when I saw that Barnes and Noble giftcards were on the list.
Ok, I confess ... I am a book-a-holic. A bibliophile who agreed at the beginning of this journey toward good stewardship to use the library instead, making a rule that I couldn't spend any money on books until well after we were debt free. As our budget is often precariously arranged, this rule has not been a problem. I don't have credit I can use anymore, so no money = no risk of spending it on books.
Faced with the choice between cashing in my points for more practical giftcards like those for the gas station and CVS or the entirely splurge-tastic (new word! ha) B&N, I am paralyzed. On the one hand, I should be a good steward. I should be practical, always. I should do the right thing and add to my family's budget with a smile on my face. On the other hand, it's free money ... money we would not have otherwise had anyway ... and money I would absolutely looooooooove to spend on books. Oh, my dear frugal friends, what is a girl to do? Be, with his cool exterior told me to do whatever I wanted to do. Ugh. That means nothing when you have a competition going on between wants and probably shoulds.
So, my lovely readers, I'm taking suggestions. What would you do if you could choose a $75 gift card? Would you splurge? Would you be ascetic about it? Would you have to write blog posts about it, and hope the comments helped you decide? Help a girl out here, pretty please?
Simply,
Em.
04 April 2009
Super Saver Saturday: Party Time! Excellent!
"Are you having a party?", asked the cashier, the manager in charge, 5 or 6 people we passed on the way to the check out, and the people behind us in line as we pushed an entire cart full of 2 liter bottles of pop to the checkout lanes. It took 2 of us to drag the darn thing up to the front of the store in the first place. 2 liters, it would seem, are quite heavy.
My answer, of course, a simple "Yes?".
I don't like to answer a lot of questions at the grocery store. I often get weird looks for what makes it on the conveyor belt, and other than casually replying that I have a hungry family of 5 to feed, I don't go into details about why we need 17 boxes of spaghetti or 40 cans of tuna fish at one time. It was just easier this weekend to go along with the assumption that no sane person would buy 55 2 liters (which is how many fit in the cart at one time without toppling over) unless they were throwing a huge party. Bring the limes over, apparently there's a social gathering predicted for my basement 2 liter stash in the near future.
My shopping for the week included (and we're up to 7 people this week as we have house guests while my father recovers from open heart surgery) ...
Trip Numero Uno
2 2ltrs Big Red: 88c/ea on sale - B3 Squirt, G BR Free coupon = FREE!
7.77lbs of sweet potatoes: 99c/lb = $7.69
(I cannot WAIT for sweet potato fries this week! Yay!)
4 2ltrs Regular Coke: $1.49/ea = $5.96
3 2ltrs Diet Coke: $1.49/ea = $4.47
6 2ltrs assorted Squirt: 88c/ea on sale = $5.28
7 2ltrs assorted Dr. Pepper: 88c/ea on sale = $6.16
12 Yoplait: 50c/ea on sale - $1/10 instant store deal - 40c/6 coupons = 35c/ea
6 Stouffer's french bread pizzas: $2/ea on sale - B5, G1 Free store deal - $1/3 Meijer coupons = $1.33/ea
4 boxes Orville microwave popcorn: clearanced to $1.60/ea (1/2 price! yay!)
Bottle Deposit: $2.20
Total Spent: $49.68
Total Saved: $27.76
Trip Nombre Deux
2 1lb containers of strawberries: $1.50/ea on sale = $3
18 2ltrs assorted Dr. Pepper: 88c/ea on sale = $15.84
7 2ltrs assorted Faygo: 58c/ea on sale = $4.06
2.94lbs of green grapes, 5.05lbs of red: $1.49/lb on sale = $11.91
Bottle Deposit: $3.10
Total Spent: $41.39
Total Saved: $17.08
Third Time's A Charm
45 2ltrs assorted Dr. Pepper: 88c/ea on sale = $39.60
8 2ltrs assorted Faygo: 58c/ea on sale = $4.64
Bottle Deposit: $5.30
- $9 in catalinas from the Kraft deal last week
Total Spent: $40.54
Total Saved: $34.77
Overall Total Spent: $121.61
Overall Total Saved: $79.61
(adjusted for returnable deposits ...)
That's about a 40% savings ... but on a more realistic note, it's at least an extra $60 in my pocket. This family of mine is full of pop drinkers, and although they deal rather well with my odd meal concoctions, wacky deals, and stockpiling they refuse to deal without a rather regular supply of pop. It's the one thing I pay full price for when we're out rather than just getting by without ... sad when we don't even buy milk until it goes on sale. Ha. So, reality-wise, pop sales are my lifesaver. They're why I spend an entire afternoon doing transactions at Meijer when the limit is 4. They're why I load my trunk to capacity with plastic bottles. They're why I look like a lunatic throwing a party with my cart full of soda. I get to keep that $60+ in my pocket now, even though I had to lay out quite a bit to stock up. 100 fresh 2 liters should hold us for a while ... I hope.
Did you nail any good deals this week? Tell us about them by linking to Super Saver Saturdays at MoneySavingMom!
Simply,
Em.
My answer, of course, a simple "Yes?".
I don't like to answer a lot of questions at the grocery store. I often get weird looks for what makes it on the conveyor belt, and other than casually replying that I have a hungry family of 5 to feed, I don't go into details about why we need 17 boxes of spaghetti or 40 cans of tuna fish at one time. It was just easier this weekend to go along with the assumption that no sane person would buy 55 2 liters (which is how many fit in the cart at one time without toppling over) unless they were throwing a huge party. Bring the limes over, apparently there's a social gathering predicted for my basement 2 liter stash in the near future.
My shopping for the week included (and we're up to 7 people this week as we have house guests while my father recovers from open heart surgery) ...
Trip Numero Uno
2 2ltrs Big Red: 88c/ea on sale - B3 Squirt, G BR Free coupon = FREE!
7.77lbs of sweet potatoes: 99c/lb = $7.69
(I cannot WAIT for sweet potato fries this week! Yay!)
4 2ltrs Regular Coke: $1.49/ea = $5.96
3 2ltrs Diet Coke: $1.49/ea = $4.47
6 2ltrs assorted Squirt: 88c/ea on sale = $5.28
7 2ltrs assorted Dr. Pepper: 88c/ea on sale = $6.16
12 Yoplait: 50c/ea on sale - $1/10 instant store deal - 40c/6 coupons = 35c/ea
6 Stouffer's french bread pizzas: $2/ea on sale - B5, G1 Free store deal - $1/3 Meijer coupons = $1.33/ea
4 boxes Orville microwave popcorn: clearanced to $1.60/ea (1/2 price! yay!)
Bottle Deposit: $2.20
Total Spent: $49.68
Total Saved: $27.76
Trip Nombre Deux
2 1lb containers of strawberries: $1.50/ea on sale = $3
18 2ltrs assorted Dr. Pepper: 88c/ea on sale = $15.84
7 2ltrs assorted Faygo: 58c/ea on sale = $4.06
2.94lbs of green grapes, 5.05lbs of red: $1.49/lb on sale = $11.91
Bottle Deposit: $3.10
Total Spent: $41.39
Total Saved: $17.08
Third Time's A Charm
45 2ltrs assorted Dr. Pepper: 88c/ea on sale = $39.60
8 2ltrs assorted Faygo: 58c/ea on sale = $4.64
Bottle Deposit: $5.30
- $9 in catalinas from the Kraft deal last week
Total Spent: $40.54
Total Saved: $34.77
Overall Total Spent: $121.61
Overall Total Saved: $79.61
(adjusted for returnable deposits ...)
That's about a 40% savings ... but on a more realistic note, it's at least an extra $60 in my pocket. This family of mine is full of pop drinkers, and although they deal rather well with my odd meal concoctions, wacky deals, and stockpiling they refuse to deal without a rather regular supply of pop. It's the one thing I pay full price for when we're out rather than just getting by without ... sad when we don't even buy milk until it goes on sale. Ha. So, reality-wise, pop sales are my lifesaver. They're why I spend an entire afternoon doing transactions at Meijer when the limit is 4. They're why I load my trunk to capacity with plastic bottles. They're why I look like a lunatic throwing a party with my cart full of soda. I get to keep that $60+ in my pocket now, even though I had to lay out quite a bit to stock up. 100 fresh 2 liters should hold us for a while ... I hope.
Did you nail any good deals this week? Tell us about them by linking to Super Saver Saturdays at MoneySavingMom!
Simply,
Em.
03 April 2009
GDA: Pop and Excedrin
Meijer has Dr. Pepper brand varieties of pop for 88c through tomorrow (Saturday) and best of all there's no limit. Usually when these sales happen there's a limit of 4 making for an entire afternoon at the grocery repeating transactions. No limit means time saved, and I am digging it.
AND!
Faygo 2ltrs are 59c! I don't like their cola products, but my family can put a dent in the red and orange varieties.Yay!
AND!
Excedrin 24ct is on sale for 99c. Use the $1/1 coupons and make it FREE!
Any other great deals before this week ends?
Simply,
Em.
AND!
Faygo 2ltrs are 59c! I don't like their cola products, but my family can put a dent in the red and orange varieties.Yay!
AND!
Excedrin 24ct is on sale for 99c. Use the $1/1 coupons and make it FREE!
Any other great deals before this week ends?
Simply,
Em.
31 March 2009
Gratituesday: List-o-rama
It's a tired grateful day, I think he accepts shorthand ...
... sunshine! finally!
... a recovering dad who is (fingers crossed) coming home tomorrow.
... great nurses that kept him taken care of with a smile, despite the icky hospital politics they're dealing with.
... a family ready to jump up and pitch in during his stay with us.
... love.
... that smile.
... a G-d that knows exactly the right things for me to be doing at the right moment, no matter if I know it then or not.
... a school semester that's almost over (and a 100% paper this week to boot!).
... no class on Thursday.
... hot pink, highly worn, slightly tattered Crocs.
... the coolest mom in the world.
... a warm (ok, warm-ish) house to come home to.
... hilarious friends.
... the freedom of time, busy, but not limited by a 9-5.
... a freezer full of potential quick fix healthy goodness ... seriously, a lifesaver.
... Barb (my fondly adored rhubarb plant) is coming back!
... green leaves, soon to be tulips and daffodils.
... and really, sunshine ... oh, how I have missed sunshine.
What are you grateful for today?
... sunshine! finally!
... a recovering dad who is (fingers crossed) coming home tomorrow.
... great nurses that kept him taken care of with a smile, despite the icky hospital politics they're dealing with.
... a family ready to jump up and pitch in during his stay with us.
... love.
... that smile.
... a G-d that knows exactly the right things for me to be doing at the right moment, no matter if I know it then or not.
... a school semester that's almost over (and a 100% paper this week to boot!).
... no class on Thursday.
... hot pink, highly worn, slightly tattered Crocs.
... the coolest mom in the world.
... a warm (ok, warm-ish) house to come home to.
... hilarious friends.
... the freedom of time, busy, but not limited by a 9-5.
... a freezer full of potential quick fix healthy goodness ... seriously, a lifesaver.
... Barb (my fondly adored rhubarb plant) is coming back!
... green leaves, soon to be tulips and daffodils.
... and really, sunshine ... oh, how I have missed sunshine.
What are you grateful for today?
Menu Plan ... Tuesday?
Errr, oops. I swear there was menu planning on Monday (scout's honor). I was elbow deep in trying to figure out the mechanics of the calorie, salt, and fat limited diabetic exchange diet my dad will be coming home to (hopefully tomorrow). He's coming to stay with us while he recuperates so that his wife (my stepmom) can keep working. He can't be left alone for awhile, and since it would seem you can never find a minute alone in this house of mine, it's the perfect spot. With his recovery comes a very specific, very detailed menu requirement, and I swear I spent the better part of the evening trying to figure it out. My word! With all the counting and making sure to include so many breads or veggies or fruits (!! at every meal ...?! what is this, Florida?), I plum forgot about posting about it. Without further ado, the menu as it stands for now ... I'm still working out the kinks of making sure he gets the right foods without winding up with a mutiny from the rest of the family ... le sigh.
MONDAY
Ground turkey, garlic rice, and spinach ... something we've taken to calling Dirty Rice Florentine .. how fancy.
TUESDAY
B: Peanut butter toast, milk, and bananas
L: Tuna fish sandwich, carrots, salad, and fruit salad
D: Pork chops, baked potato, biscuit, green veggie, salad
WEDNESDAY
B: Cereal, egg on toast, apple, and 1/2 banana
L: Turkey cheese paninis, veggie soup, carrots, and grapes
D: Beef goulash with tomatoes and mushrooms, green salad
THURSDAY
B: Cherry oatmeal and peanut butter toast
L: Chicken loaded baked potato, broccoli and mushrooms, salad, fruited jello
D: Grilled marinaded fish, herbed rice, biscuit, green veggie, cucumbers
FRIDAY
B: Toasted egg sandwich, grapes and melon chunks
L: Firehouse pizza, salad, whole fruit
D: Chicken veggie saute, mashed potatoes, green salad
SATURDAY
B: Pancakes with homemade sugar free cherry syrup, sausage patties, banana
L: PBJs, carrots with hummus
D: TBA (my stepmom likes to cook, and wants to cook for us while she's here so I'm leaving the weekend when she doesn't have to work open for her to choose)
SUNDAY
B: Egg white breakfast burritos with cheese, cherries from freezer
L: Dinner leftovers, green salad with carrots, fruited jello
D: TBA (same as Saturday)
Whew!
We are not breakfast and lunch planners here. I'm lucky if I get a dinner menu finished, making this a pretty big change for us. The way I see it, any one of three things could happen. We could all be inspired to more active meal planning through this journey. We may all lose 20 pounds, or my family will mutiny and order pizza while I'm not looking.
What's on your menu this week?
Simply,
Em.
24 March 2009
Gratituesday: He is ok.
Have you checked out Laura's blog yet? Click here!
Not Very Grateful Sounding Intro ...
Can I just tell you, before we get on with the grateful festivities, that I hate having to preface all of my entries lately with, "I'm so sorry I haven't been around. I'll do better, I swear."? I do. I wish I could blog full time and not have to worry about any of it. Life does not agree with this idea right now ... pulling me from blogging to school, homework, housework, sleep, managing Be's injuries and doctor's appointments, and a host of other less fun things to do than write for you. I feel like I have to apologize for my life, if there are any of you out there left to apologize to. I'm (secretly) currently afraid of my stats counter. *sigh* Today is not the day for pity parties about time management. Today is Tuesday! Gratituesday! And now on with it ...
Much more Grateful Sounding Here ...
My dad had open heart surgery yesterday. They cracked open his chest and did a quadruple bypass of some mostly blocked arteries. I am still kind of in a blur about the whole thing. He was not a cardiac patient, really, until about 2 weeks ago. He did not have a slow decline of repetitious pills and appointments and the like. He had some high blood pressure, but it was managed well with medications. Then, boom! Chest pain led to a stress test which led to a cardiac cath which lead to an appointment for open heart surgery yesterday.
First and foremost, I am grateful for his surgery being successful. As I write today, he's still on a ventilator (standard post-open heart procedure, fyi). I just talked to the critical care nurse in his room (because the hospital is 40 minutes from here ... in the opposite direction of school ... ) and they're going to try to get rid of the tube this afternoon. He was already waking up when I saw him yesterday. He didn't experience any major surgical complications, and honestly save the hundred tubes everywhere, he didn't look all that bad post-op. For all of that, I am grateful. For the grace that saves him, I don't even have words.
I am resisting telling you all about how cool my dad is because it sounds too much like eulogizing in my very superstitious head right now. He's a funny guy, though. You might like him. After many, many cloudy days, I'm just grateful that the sun is starting to peek out.
Thank you, thank you.
Simply,
Em.
11 March 2009
Honey, I'm hoooooome!
Hello?
*tap tap*
Is this thing on?
I'm hoping a handful of you are still out there after my all too long vacation hiatus. We went to Disney, did all those great Disney things, had a blast, and didn't blog a single second we were there. $10.95/day for WiFi? Um, no, not from the pocket of a frugal blogger. So, we did without using the internet, and other than the 650 emails I came home to, it was the best feeling. I did miss my bloggy friends for sure. I feel so behind in keeping track of everyone's lives. Ha.
My house is of course a mess. I promise I didn't leave it that way. I know the 'Rules of Simple Vacationing' ... do one thing, and one thing only, clean your house so that you come home to something at least reasonably serene. Check. What I did not consider was the possibility that the people housesitting for us would then go on to wreck the entire place. *sigh* I am in no mind or mood for cleaning it either, as I seem to have brought home some awful Tropical Bird Flu (ok, really, it's just an awful chest cold/flu/bronchitis thing, don't call the CDC) and feel like death warmed over. Intead, I am inclined to try to catch up on my blog reader, drink hot chocolate (it's snowing again!), and try to cough the last of this stuff out of here. Want to read along with me?
Sarah deals in using up freebie pie crusts. I didn't get in on this deal, but from the looks of that elephant ear, and Be's absolute adoration of pie, I think I probably should have.
The Good Human cancelled his trash service to be more cognizant of what he was throwing away (and to save money!). We are working towards a similar goal here. We only fill the trash bin every 2-3 weeks rather than weekly. If I could get it lower, and Be could drive the Jeep, we'd likely be on the same program.
Broke Grad Student lays out the 5 stupid ways we waste money. Guilty on all accounts at some point, for sure.
Crystal always has all the good deals, including this post with 2 different ways to get a FREE Arby's "Roastburger". I'm still trying to figure out what the heck these things are ... and how exactly they're browned but not "fried" (magic? me thinks so). I don't generally eat there, but a freebie lunch for my family? Ok by me.
JD's wife, Kris, is a seed starting machine. I looooooooove posts in the late winter/early spring about seed starting because it means it will be time to put those little germinators to dirt in this house very soon. I love gardens. I love growing our own food. I love the look of those cute little seed pots all in a row. Love love love love it! Where is my seed catalog?
Pizza Hut Book-It is now open to homeschoolers. Book-It is that rad program where you read books in order to get free personal pan pizzas. Reading is fun. Pizza is fun. Reading for pizza is fabulous. I loved this program as a kid, and now everyone can do it! Hooray! Thanks, Crystal.
First, I absolutely adore the Happy Housewife. Now, she's making pita in her bread machine. I love pita in ways I cannot explain. It is the perfect bread. I could eat it constantly, with every meal, as the only food allowed me for years. Now, I kind of wish I had a bread machine.
Are you a baggie washer? We are. Gayle is. It's not lunacy, I promise.
I'm feeling absolutely blah today. Lisa at the Simple Mom has 16 tips for increasing your energy levels. Maybe I could just get over this Tropical Bird Flu and call it good?
Or maybe just a nap?
Simply,
Em.
*tap tap*
Is this thing on?
I'm hoping a handful of you are still out there after my all too long vacation hiatus. We went to Disney, did all those great Disney things, had a blast, and didn't blog a single second we were there. $10.95/day for WiFi? Um, no, not from the pocket of a frugal blogger. So, we did without using the internet, and other than the 650 emails I came home to, it was the best feeling. I did miss my bloggy friends for sure. I feel so behind in keeping track of everyone's lives. Ha.
My house is of course a mess. I promise I didn't leave it that way. I know the 'Rules of Simple Vacationing' ... do one thing, and one thing only, clean your house so that you come home to something at least reasonably serene. Check. What I did not consider was the possibility that the people housesitting for us would then go on to wreck the entire place. *sigh* I am in no mind or mood for cleaning it either, as I seem to have brought home some awful Tropical Bird Flu (ok, really, it's just an awful chest cold/flu/bronchitis thing, don't call the CDC) and feel like death warmed over. Intead, I am inclined to try to catch up on my blog reader, drink hot chocolate (it's snowing again!), and try to cough the last of this stuff out of here. Want to read along with me?
Sarah deals in using up freebie pie crusts. I didn't get in on this deal, but from the looks of that elephant ear, and Be's absolute adoration of pie, I think I probably should have.
The Good Human cancelled his trash service to be more cognizant of what he was throwing away (and to save money!). We are working towards a similar goal here. We only fill the trash bin every 2-3 weeks rather than weekly. If I could get it lower, and Be could drive the Jeep, we'd likely be on the same program.
Broke Grad Student lays out the 5 stupid ways we waste money. Guilty on all accounts at some point, for sure.
Crystal always has all the good deals, including this post with 2 different ways to get a FREE Arby's "Roastburger". I'm still trying to figure out what the heck these things are ... and how exactly they're browned but not "fried" (magic? me thinks so). I don't generally eat there, but a freebie lunch for my family? Ok by me.
JD's wife, Kris, is a seed starting machine. I looooooooove posts in the late winter/early spring about seed starting because it means it will be time to put those little germinators to dirt in this house very soon. I love gardens. I love growing our own food. I love the look of those cute little seed pots all in a row. Love love love love it! Where is my seed catalog?
Pizza Hut Book-It is now open to homeschoolers. Book-It is that rad program where you read books in order to get free personal pan pizzas. Reading is fun. Pizza is fun. Reading for pizza is fabulous. I loved this program as a kid, and now everyone can do it! Hooray! Thanks, Crystal.
First, I absolutely adore the Happy Housewife. Now, she's making pita in her bread machine. I love pita in ways I cannot explain. It is the perfect bread. I could eat it constantly, with every meal, as the only food allowed me for years. Now, I kind of wish I had a bread machine.
Are you a baggie washer? We are. Gayle is. It's not lunacy, I promise.
I'm feeling absolutely blah today. Lisa at the Simple Mom has 16 tips for increasing your energy levels. Maybe I could just get over this Tropical Bird Flu and call it good?
Or maybe just a nap?
Simply,
Em.
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